Family files lawsuit against city, police department for hit-and-run death

By Fauzeya Rahman, Staff Writer

December 21, 2016

The family of a man killed in a 2014 hit-and-run filed a lawsuit Monday against the city of San Antonio, the San Antonio Police Department and Police Chief William McManus alleging the “gross negligence” of an SAPD officer led to 38-year-old Albert Gonzales’ death.

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The lawsuit claims Henry Castoreno was stalking Gonzales’ wife. After the couple called 911 on Dec. 17, 2014, an officer directed them to the parking lot of a Taco Cabana on the West Side, where the officer would meet them. When the family arrived, the officer wasn’t there yet, according to the lawsuit.

After the two men argued, Castoreno ran Gonzales over in his pickup, according to previous reports. Gonzales was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.

According to a previous Express-News story, Castoreno was shot and killed minutes later by SAPD officers at a nearby home on Hillcrest Drive. He had a lengthy criminal history, including a 2001 conviction for murder that resulted in a prison stay until August 2009.

The lawsuit asserted had it not been for the officer’s instructions, “Mr. Gonzales would not have stopped and most likely Mr. Gonzales would not have been run over ... which led to his death,” the lawsuit stated.

The family is seeking $100,000 in damages and a jury trial.

When asked for comment, Sgt. Jesse Salame, an SAPD spokesman, said the department doesn’t comment on pending litigation.